Lumber marking mechanism



July 14, 1936.. H RAWSON 2,047,746

LUMBER MARKING MECHANISM Filed June 20, 1934 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR.

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July 14, 1936. H. H. RAWSON LUMBER MARKING MECHANISM Filed June 20, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheetv 2 INVENTOR. HHRFW hf fi/i MSU/V B 91 20 NEYS.

July 14, 1936. H. H. RAWSON LUMBER MARKING MECHANISM Filed June 20, 1934 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. /7 /4/PRY hi PflA/s/JN 2/ AZJM ATTORNEYS.

Patented July 14, 1936 UNl'iE stares AENT OFFICE LUMBER MARKING IWECHANISM Harry H. Rawson,

Spokane, Wash, assignor to Washington Machinery and Supply Company,

Spokane, Wash.

Application June 20, 1934, Serial No. 731,496

Claims.

of the lumber, means for retaining the stamp-' ing mechanism in contact'with the ends of the lumber, .means for adjustably regulating the stamping device whereby the lumber is stamped centrally as regards its thickness, means for stamping the lumber centrally as regards its width, novel means for spreading ink on. the stamping mechanism and novel means for supplying ink to the stamping mechanism.

With the. above and other objects in View which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of the novel construction, adaptation, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed. These objects are accomplished by devices illustrated in the accompanying drawings; wherein:-

Figure 1 is a top plan View showing an end portion of a lumber trimmer with my marking mechanism installed thereon; Fig. 2 is aview in end elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is a detail View in elevation showing the means for shifting the marking mechanism; Fig. 4. is a view in central vertical section of the same; Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail view in elevation, with parts broken away, and showing the means for raising and lowering the marking mechanism; Fig. 6 is a plan View showing the marking mechanism with its casing cover removed; Fig. 7 is a view in side elevation of the same with parts shown in section; Fig. 8 is a view in horizontal section, taken substantially on a broken line 8-8 of Fig. 7, and showingthe means for spreading ink over the rollers; and Fig. 9-is a detail view in vertical sectiontaken on. a broken line 99'of Fig. 6 and showing the ink supplying means.

. Referring in detail to the drawings throughout which like reference numerals'indicate like parts, the numeral 5 designates the stationary. framework of the machine as a whole. A motor 6 furnishes the power and drives a shaft 7 by means of a sprocket and chain belt 8; Conveyor chain belts '9 on each side of the frame, and only one of which is shown, are driven by the shaft 7; Said belts are provided with gripping fingers illthat engage the end portions of the lumber, and which, together with compressor members i i that furnish slight compression, retain the lum ber transversely on the conveyor belts 9 as it is carried through the trimmer machine. On its way through, the lumber is first engaged by an independently motored trimmer saw it which cuts off its ends. The ends of the lumber are then engaged by a stamp member I 3 of the marking mechanismj The marking mechanism is housed within a casing l4 that is bolted or otherwise fixed to base members l5 that support the marking mechanism. A bracket i5 is fixed to said base members and said bracket is pivotally and threadedly supported by a vertical shaft ll as most clearly shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings. It will thus be seen that the entire casing I d is pivotally movable on the shaft ll. One end of a coiled compression spring it bears against a fixed part of I the stationary frame 5, while its other end presses against the bracket it, thus providing means whereby the casing is held inwardly so that the stamp member 53 will always contact the end of a piece of machine.

Due to the fact that pieces of sawed lumber are of different standard thicknesses, means is here devised for adjustably regulating the device whereby the lumber is stamped centrally as regards its thickness. Said means comprises a hand wheel l9 fixed to a vertical shaft 20 that is journaled within a housing 2i whose lower end is fixed to a part of the frame 5. The upper member of the compressor members I l is fixed to said housing while its lower member is connected to said upper member by links pivotally connected to both members. The shaft'Zt is threaded through the lower compressor member, as shown at 22 in Fig. 2, while its lower end may be swiveled into the housing 2!. It will now be apparent that the lower compressor member is raised or lowered by turning the wheel i9 thus increasing or decreasing the space 23 between said lower member and the upper portion of the 4.0 frame 5 whereon the pieces of lumber slidably move. This arrangement provides means for accommodating various thicknesses of lumber. Said frame portion and compressor member may be provided with anti-friction rollers if desired.

For stamping these various thicknesses of lumber as regards their height, the upper end portion of the shaft I! is journaled and swiveled through a bracket arm 24 that is fixed to the housing 2!, and a lower portion of said shaft is threaded at 25 through the upper arm of the bracket it that is fixed to the base members of the casing M. A pinion ZBis fixed on the upper end portion of the shaft 20 and meshes with a gear 21 fixed to the. upper end of the shaft ll 5 lumber in its passage through the 20 and having twice as many gear teeth as said pinion. Thus, when the shaft 29 is revolved, the shaft will revolve at half its speed. Assuming that the threads 22 on the shaft 29 and the threads 25 on the shaft H are equal in pitch, it is obvious that the lower compressor member II will be raised, or lowered, twice the distance that the casing I4 is raised or lowered when the wheel I9 is turned. This arrangement provides means whereby the stamp member I3 is automatically moved to the exact center of the thickness of a piece of lumber that is moved along through the space 23 between the compressor H and the frame 5. The same result may, of course, be accomplished by making the pinion 26 and gear 21 equal and by also making the pitch of the threads 22 double the pitch of the threads 25.

The arrangement and operation of the stamping mechanism within the casing l4 will now be set forth. Said mechanism is driven from the shaft 1 by a chain belt 28 connected to a sprocket fixed on a stub shaft 29 journaled in bracket that is connected to the casing l4. A sprocket 39 is revolubly mounted upon the outer end of said shaft and carries a chain belt 3| which extends to another sprocket 32 mounted on the outer end of a shaft 33 which extends into the casing M where it is journaled in suitable bearings 34 fixed to a base member I5. As shown in Fig. 7, a bevel gear 35 is fixed on said shaft and in mesh with another bevel gear 36 fixed on a vertical shaft 31. As shown in Fig. 6, a worm 38 is fixed on the upper end of said vertical shaft and in mesh with a larger worm gear 39 fixed in a horizontal shaft 49 journaled on a bearing 4|. The means for supplying ink to the marking mechanism is connected to said horizontal shaft and will now be described.

The marking means, as shown in detail in Fig. 9, comprises an inkwell casing 42 connected to the bearing 4| within the casing M. A heavy viscid printers ink is contained in said inkwell and leaks out through an opening therein where it is picked up by a roller 43 that is fixed to the shaft 49 within a slot provided in the bearing 4 I. A pair of opposite metal cleats 44, imbedded in the periphery of the roller, help to pick up the ink on the roller. An arm 45 is fixed onto a rod 46 that is journaled across the inkwell and has a transversely curved blade 41 fixed into the outer end of said arm and which blade spreads the ink and forces it to the center of the roller 43. One end of a lever 48 is fixed to an exterior end of said rod 46 and a tension spring 49 retains the other end of the lever against an adjustable stop 59 whereby the blade 41 is retained in near engagement with the roller as will be understood.

From the roller 43, the ink is transferred to a rubber roller 5|. A double end cam 52 is fixed to an end of the shaft 49 and engages a wheel 53 which revolves on a horizontal stub shaft 54 that is fixed to a housing 55 which is pivotally mounted on a stub shaft 56 fixed to one of the base members l5. The housing 55 extends beyond said stub shaft and serves as a bearing for the arbor of the rubber roller 5|. A lever arm 58 projects outwardly from the portion of the housing 55 which surrounds the vertical stub shaft 56, and a coiled tension spring 59 has one end connected to said arm and the other end connected to the base member l5. Said spring retains the wheel 53 in constant engagement with the cam 52 and the roller 5| in intermittent engagement with the roller 43. At each revolution of said cam the roller 5| is moved twice outwardly and away from the roller 43 and twice inwardly and against the roller 43.

At each outward movement the roller 5| engages and transfers its ink to a steel roller 69 which is fixed onto a vertical shaft 6|. From the roller 69 the ink is transferred to a rubber roller 62 revolubly mounted on the base l5, thence to a steel roller 63 that is fixed onto a vertical shaft 64. From roller 63 the ink is transferred to a rubber roller 65 mounted on the base I5 and from roller 65 the ink is picked up by the stamp member l3 in its rotary movement.

Rotary motion is imparted to the vertical shafts by means of a bevel gear 66, fixed on the end of the horizontal shaft 33, and meshing with another bevel gear 61 fixed on a vertical shaft 68 as shown in Fig. 8. A spur gear 69 is mounted on the vertical shaft 68 and meshes with a spur gear 19 fixed on the vertical shaft 64. The spur gear 69 also meshes with a gear 1| fixed on a vertical shaft I2 which shaft rotates the stamp member I3. The gear 1| meshes with an idler gear 13, that is mounted on a vertical shaft 14, and said idler gear meshes with a gear 15 that is fixed on the vertical shaft 6|.

The stamp member I3 is to timed that it makes two complete revolutions between the grip fingers Hi. In other words, the stamp member revolves twice around while the space between the grip fingers on the conveyor belt 9 is passing the stamp member. When a very wide board, such as thirty-two inches in width, is being passed through the machine, the stamp member makes two imprints on its end. Imprints are made by a die member 76 that is set into a T-slot in the outer face of the stamp member l3 and held therein by a screw bolt 11.

An important feature of my invention resides in a novel means for spreading the ink over the rollers and consists in a cam and rocker shaft arrangement which is most clearly shown in Fig. 8 of the drawings. In this arrangement, a bearing 18 is secured to the base I5 and supports a shaft 19. A curved bracket arm 89 is keyed to one end of said shaft and a Wheel BI is mounted on the end of said arm. Said wheel rides in a slanting groove cut in a cam wheel 82 that is fixed on the lower end of the vertical shaft 12. A pair of arms 83 and 84 are oppositely fixed to the other end of the shaft 19 and have wheels 85 and 86 respectively mounted on their outer ends. These wheels ride in straight grooves cut in rollers 81 and 88 respectively fixed to the shafts 6| and 64. The groove in the cam wheel 82, being on a slant, pivotally moves the rocker shaft 19 by means of the bracket arm 89 and its wheel 8| riding in the slanting groove upon rotary movement of the cam wheel 82. This pivotal movement of the shaft 19 causes the arms 83 and 84 to alternatively swing up and down and thus raise and lower the steel rollers 69 and 63 whereby the ink is spread over the surface of said rollers.

Another important feature of the invention is a means for causing the stamp member l3 to make imprints on the centers of the ends of pieces of lumberwith respect to their widths. This means is shown in detail in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings, and consists of a disc 89 which is keyed to the outer end of the shaft 29 adjacent the sprocket 39. This sprocket revolves idly upon said shaft when the use of the stamping mechanism is not desired. When such use is desired, the

disc 89 and sprocket 30 are connected together by a screw pin 90. The margin of the sprocket is divided by a plurality of equally spaced apart holes 9| which receive the pin end of the screw pin, it being understood that the threaded portion of said screw pin extends through the disc. Assuming that the distance around the sprocket, on a circle drawn through the series of holes 9|, is thirty-two inches, and that the holes are each two inches apart, and are numbered from one to sixteen, it will be apparent that by setting the screw pin. 90 into hole number sixteen the stamping mechanism is advanced so as to cause the stamp member I3 to make an imprint in the center of a board that is thirty-two inches wide. By setting the screw pin in hole number eight, the stamp member will make an impression in the center of a board that is sixteen inches wide, and so on, it being understood that the board must have its edge against the finger grips 10 on the conveyor belt 9.

Having thus described my invention, it being understood that minor changes may be resorted to in its construction and arrangement without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. The combination with means for moving lumber, of a marking mechanism arranged to contact with one end of the lumber, means for moving said marking mechanism up and down, a compressor arranged to prevent vertical displacement of the lumber, adjusting means whereby the compressor is raised and lowered, and connecting means between said adjusting means and the means for moving the marking mechanism up and down whereby the compressor is raised or lowered twice the distance that the marking mechanism is raised or lowered.

2. The combination with a conveyor for moving pieces of lumber, of marking mechanism mounted in position to contact with one end of the pieces of lumber, and being vertically adjustable, a vertically adjustable compressor arranged over the conveyor to bear against lumber on the conveyor, and means for simultaneously adjusting the marker and compressor vertically and maintaining the marker centered with respect to space between the conveyor and compressor whereby lumber will be marked midway its thickness.

3. The combination with a conveyor for mov ing pieces of lumber into position for marking, of marking mechanism. adapted to contact with an end face of each piece of lumber when in the marking position, means for Vertically adjusting the marking mechanism, means for preventing horizontal displacement of the lumber, a compressor over the conveyor to prevent vertical displacement of the lumber, and means for raising and lowering the compressor to provide space between the conveyor and compressor for passage of lumber of predetermined thicknesses operatively connected with the means for vertically adjusting the marking mechanism and effecting proportionate movement of the same relative to each other to maintain the marker centered with respect to the thickness of lumber passing between the conveyor and the compressor.

i. The combination with conveyor belts for moving pieces of lumber, of a marking mechanism arranged to contact with an end of the pieces of lumber, means for trimming the ends of the lumber during movement thereof into position for marking and providing flat end faces presented toward the marking mechanism, a compressor over the conveyor shiftable vertically into position to hold lumber of predetermined thicknesses upon the conveyor, and means for shifting the compressor into position for bearing against the upper faces of pieces of lumber of predetermined thickness and simultaneously setting the marking mechanism in position for marking end faces of the lumber midway the thickness thereof.

5. In an apparatus of the character described, a frame, a conveyor, a compressor over said conveyor, a marker mechanism at one side of the conveyor including a casing having a bracket carried thereby, a vertically disposed rotary shaft threaded through the bracket to vertically adjust the marker mechanism when rotated, and means for vertically adjusting the compressor including a housing carried by said frame at the same side of the conveyor as the marker mechanism, a shaft rotatably carried by said housing and spaced transversely from the shaft of the marker mechanism, and means for transmittingrotary motion from one shaft to the other with the shaft of the marker mechanism turning at approximately half the speed of the shaft of the compressor adjusting mechanism whereby the 'marker mechanism will be maintained in centered relation to space between the conveyor and the compressor and the lumber marked midway its thickness.

HARRY H. RAWSON.

Ill? 

